First, Ive got to admit I love American Airlines.
When I had my pick between Delta and American for a weekly transcon commute, I proudly chose the red, white, and blue. Flying out of JFK and LAX week after week, it always felt special. The AA staff consistently goes out of their way to make their familiar customers feel seen, valued, and looked after.
Ill never forget the day Flagship First Dining opened.
I was checking into the lounge on one of those weekly trips when the lounge greeter at JFK asked, Would you like to try the brand-new Flagship First Dining room? Baffled, I said, Sure, whats that?
Moments later, an opaque glass door slid open, revealing an elegant dining room tucked inside the lounge. The hostess smiled and asked, Where would you like to sit? I stood there for a moment, gazing at the stunning space, floor-to-ceiling windows framing the NYC skyline and AA tails parked below. Before I could even make up my mind, the only other customer inside turned and said, Hell be sitting here, next to me.
That moment made me smile and it sparked a lasting friendship with that fellow traveler, who just happens to be in charge of currency for all of New Zealand.
That day felt like a glimpse into what premium travel must have been like in the golden age of American Airlines a special experience where you felt like youd just been let in on the secret of how to fly the right way without owning a private jet.
Over the years, Ive treasured those unexpected connections made in intimate, exclusive spaces like that dining room friendships with fellow travelers and especially with the incredible AA employees, many of whom I still see in todays version of Flagship First Dining called the Chelsea Lounge at JFK.
Yes, in recent months and years, AA has undeniably fallen behind its competitors. Delta One and United Polaris are shining bright while AA seems focused on cost-cutting and on-time performance. The familiar faces I used to see are fewer and farther between.
But Ive stuck around. And I still do, for one reason: the AA people.
Theres nothing quite like being greeted by name from across the terminal. At times, it genuinely feels like being with family in a giant living room called an airport.
But on my most recent visit to AAs premium JFK lounge (shared with British Airways), I noticed something that gave me pause: the warm familiar faces were still there but the menu had shifted from fine dining to something that felt more like happy-hour bar food.
I cant help but wonder is this what Uniteds CEO Scott Kirby meant last week when he said, American cannot be a premium airline?
I dont want to believe that. The people at AA are some of the best in the industry, and they make every trip special. But I do hope the airlines leadership realizes that premium isnt just about flatbeds and punctuality its about preserving those magical experiences that made AA feel like home in the sky.
Im still rooting for them.
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AA BA JFK Chelsea Lounge menu March 2025
When I had my pick between Delta and American for a weekly transcon commute, I proudly chose the red, white, and blue. Flying out of JFK and LAX week after week, it always felt special. The AA staff consistently goes out of their way to make their familiar customers feel seen, valued, and looked after.
Ill never forget the day Flagship First Dining opened.
I was checking into the lounge on one of those weekly trips when the lounge greeter at JFK asked, Would you like to try the brand-new Flagship First Dining room? Baffled, I said, Sure, whats that?
Moments later, an opaque glass door slid open, revealing an elegant dining room tucked inside the lounge. The hostess smiled and asked, Where would you like to sit? I stood there for a moment, gazing at the stunning space, floor-to-ceiling windows framing the NYC skyline and AA tails parked below. Before I could even make up my mind, the only other customer inside turned and said, Hell be sitting here, next to me.
That moment made me smile and it sparked a lasting friendship with that fellow traveler, who just happens to be in charge of currency for all of New Zealand.
That day felt like a glimpse into what premium travel must have been like in the golden age of American Airlines a special experience where you felt like youd just been let in on the secret of how to fly the right way without owning a private jet.
Over the years, Ive treasured those unexpected connections made in intimate, exclusive spaces like that dining room friendships with fellow travelers and especially with the incredible AA employees, many of whom I still see in todays version of Flagship First Dining called the Chelsea Lounge at JFK.
Yes, in recent months and years, AA has undeniably fallen behind its competitors. Delta One and United Polaris are shining bright while AA seems focused on cost-cutting and on-time performance. The familiar faces I used to see are fewer and farther between.
But Ive stuck around. And I still do, for one reason: the AA people.
Theres nothing quite like being greeted by name from across the terminal. At times, it genuinely feels like being with family in a giant living room called an airport.
But on my most recent visit to AAs premium JFK lounge (shared with British Airways), I noticed something that gave me pause: the warm familiar faces were still there but the menu had shifted from fine dining to something that felt more like happy-hour bar food.
I cant help but wonder is this what Uniteds CEO Scott Kirby meant last week when he said, American cannot be a premium airline?
I dont want to believe that. The people at AA are some of the best in the industry, and they make every trip special. But I do hope the airlines leadership realizes that premium isnt just about flatbeds and punctuality its about preserving those magical experiences that made AA feel like home in the sky.
Im still rooting for them.
AA BA JFK Chelsea Lounge menu March 2025